PRAC114-0911: Microsoft Excel for Veterinary Professionals

INSTRUCTOR(S):
Karen D. Osborne, CPA, MBA, Lacher McDonald & Co.
COURSE OPEN: September 5 - October 6, 2011
REAL TIME SESSIONS: Mondays, September 12, 19 and 26, 2011; 9:30pm-11:30pm ET (USA)

Course RTS Times in Your Area: World Clock Converter

Practice Sessions: In order to prepare you for a successful experience in your CE course, we request you attend a practice session prior to the first RTS. Times and dates will be listed in your course confirmation email. Expect to spend up to 1 hour at one of the 2-4 practice sessions held prior to the first RTS.

Level and Prerequisites: This course is geared toward the veterinarians and staff with an interest in using Microsoft Excel in their practice.
VIN CE course: open to veterinarians and veterinary technicians/VSPN members. This course has been submitted for RACE approval for veterinarians and veterinary technicians.

Course Description:
This is an introductory course in the use of Microsoft Excel with the veterinary professional in mind. The class will be taught using Microsoft Excel 2007 and 2010 for PC only. Earlier versions of Microsoft Excel have a different menu structure and will not be supported. This course is designed to instruct veterinarians, practice managers, and office managers in how spreadsheets, functions, formulas, and charts can be created in Excel. The tools covered in this course will give those unfamiliar with Excel a general introduction and step-by-step guides to creating reports that will greatly help in the financial analysis and management of their practice.

Throughout the course a model will be created and built upon in each lesson. The end result will be a usable spreadsheet tool and the skills necessary for the student to create and operate their own spreadsheets.

This course will enable you to do the following:

• Identify ways that Excel can be a helpful tool to help you manage your practice.
• Know the layout of the Excel Window and how to perform basic tasks.
• Enter data into a spreadsheet.
• Create meaningful spreadsheets for management analysis.
• Know functions and formulas and how to operate them to achieve the desired results.
• Turn data into professional, visually appealing reports and charts for management use.

Course Materials: Course materials will be available in the course library prior to each Real Time Session.
Required software:

• Must have access to Microsoft Excel 2007 for PC or Microsoft Excel 2010 for PC software. This will not be provided by VIN

Required textbook:
None
Recommended textbook:
None

About the Instructors: Karen Osborne is a Certified Public Accountant and a manager in the veterinary consulting division of Lacher McDonald and Co., CPA's. Lacher McDonald provides business consulting, tax, and accounting services to companion animal practices across the country. Karen currently works with many veterinary practices nationwide providing a wide array of accounting and consulting services.

Course Outline:
Week 1: (Real Time Session September 12): Creating and Editing a Spreadsheet
Instructor(s): Karen D. Osborne, CPA, MBA, Lacher McDonald & Co., CPA's
Content:

• Spreadsheet software defined
• Getting started with Excel
• Opening and saving a spreadsheet
• Entering labels and values
• Naming a worksheet
• Closing a workbook and exiting Excel
• Editing cell entries
• Inserting and deleting columns and rows
• Entering formulas
• Moving and copying cell entries
• Understanding relative and absolute cell references
• Copying formulas with relative cell references
• Copying formulas with absolute cell references
• Summary

Week 2: (Real Time Session September 19): Functions in Excel and Formatting an Excel Spreadsheet
Instructor(s): Karen D. Osborne, CPA, MBA, Lacher McDonald & Co., CPA's
Content:

• Introducing Excel functions
• Using Excel functions
• Other useful functions
• Development of the forecast assumptions
• Completing the earnings forecast
• Formatting a worksheet
• Using fonts and font sizes
• Merging and centering
• Adjusting column widths
• Changing attributes
• Changing alignment
• Summary

Week 3: (Real Time Session September 26): Borders, Colors and Charts in Excel
Instructor(s): Karen D. Osborne, CPA, MBA, Lacher McDonald & CO., CPA's
Content:

• Applying borders
• Applying colors
• Checking spelling
• Previewing and printing
• Completing the Earnings Forecast
• Planning and designing a chart
• Creating a chart
• Moving and resizing a chart
• Enhancing a chart
• Previewing and printing a chart
• Summary

CE CREDITS: 6

Tuition: $120 ($108 early bird special if enrolled by August 22, 2011).

**For more on how online CE works see the VSPN Participant's Resource Center

1. Enrollment qualifications: VIN CE courses are open to VIN member and non-member veterinarians. Veterinarians enrolling in a VSPN CE course must be a VIN member. Veterinary support staff must be a VSPN member to enroll in a VSPN CE or a VIN CE course open to VSPN member enrollment.
2. Each enrollee must be able to receive emails from @vspn.org and @vin.com addresses. Email is our major form of communication with participants; personal emails are highly recommended rather than clinic/hospital email addresses.
3. Each person is individually responsible for his/her own registration. To ensure that all information received is secure and correct, please do not enroll for a course on behalf of another individual.
4. For further assistance call 1-800-700-INFO (4636) or email (VIN CE) CEonVIN@vin.com or (VSPN CE) VSPNCE@vspn.org). Please include the course title, your full name, and contact information in your correspondence.

Note: "This course has been submitted, but not yet approved, for 6 continuing education credits in jurisdictions which recognize AAVSB RACE approval; however participants should be aware that some boards have limitations on the number of hours accepted in certain categories and/or restrictions on certain methods of delivery of continuing education." Call VSPN/VIN CE at 1-800-700-4636 for further information. (Attendees are encouraged to check with their licensing jurisdiction(s) for information regarding recognition by their board).

Course withdrawal and refund policy: Withdrawal prior to the listed start date of a course entitles the registrant to a complete refund or a credit toward a future VIN CE course, whichever is preferred. Withdrawal within 1 week after the listed start date (i.e. including no more than one real-time session) entitles the registrant to a credit toward any future VIN CE course. (This policy does not apply to courses with only one real-time session.) After the first real-time session, a registrant may withdraw due to special circumstances and receive prorated credit towards a future VIN course. These requests will be handled on an individual basis. The amount of the prorated credit will be determined based on 65% of the time remaining in the course at the time of withdrawal. It is not possible to withdraw retroactively.
Note: To ensure rapid handling of your request for withdrawal, we recommend that you call the VIN/VSPN office at 1-800-700-INFO (4636).

*For More Information on VSPN's Upcoming CE Courses check the Course Catalog at http://www.vspn.org/CE/VSPN_M02231.htm

Katherine James, DVM, PhD, DACVIM (SAIM)
VIN Education Coordinator

VIN CE Services: CEonVIN@vin.com
1-800-846-0028 or 1-530-756-4881 or direct line to VIN/VSPN from the United Kingdom: 01452226154
Andrea Pomposo (Andrea@vin.com); ext 126
Debbie Friedler (Debbie@vin.com); ext 756
Heather Schoffstall (Heather@vin.com); ext 116
Jennifer Boyle (JenniferB@vin.com); ext 169

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